Daily devotion – Fruit trees don’t work to produce fruit!

Pastor Keith   -  

In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we are given the record of the life of Jesus as He lived it on earth. As we now begin the book of Acts, we see that same life of Christ being transferred and lived out through His disciples—empowered by the Holy Spirit from the Day of Pentecost, just as promised by God the Father.

In Acts, the disciples are sent out to proclaim the Great Commission, beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and finally to the uttermost parts of the world (Acts 1:8).

Looking back into the Old Testament, we see a striking contrast. When the Law was first proclaimed, we read:

“So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”
— Exodus 32:28

Yet in Acts, when the first sermon was preached after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the result was life, not death:

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
— Acts 2:41

What a contrast—the Law brought death, but the Spirit brought life.

Today, as the Church often toils in countless programs rather than seeking power from on high, it can feel as though it takes 3,000 sermons to see one soul saved. God has never intended His work to be accomplished through human effort alone, but through divine empowerment.

In our own lives, Jesus calls us to lay down our programs, our striving, and our own ways, and to receive His life of grace and mercy:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
— Matthew 11:28–30

Let this New Year, 2026, be the year we fully surrender our works to Christ and allow His power to be released in every area of our lives—so that we may bear fruit instead of sweat, and live by the Spirit rather than by our own strength.